Feeding mechanism for charcoal making retort



Feb. 14, 1967 J. R. WILKINS 3,303,946

FEEDING MECHANISM FOR CHARCOAL MAKING RETORT Filed Sept. 18, 1964 lA/VEA/TOR: JoH/v RILEY w/LK/Ms,

QTTQRAIEYS United States Patent Missouri Filed Sept. 18, 1964, Ser. No. 397,387 3 Claims. (Cl. 214-23) This invention relates to a charcoal loading and charging system of the kind connected to charge wood to a charcoal producing furnace or retort. In general, the invention includes a hopper connected into a housing for receiving wood. The housing has a lateral opening connected to a furnace or retort. A power driven charging piston is reciprocable through the housing to charge wood from the housing into the retort; and a clearing piston driven by a separate power source is reciprocable through the housing to clear remaining wood from the housing before refilling the hopper.

A particular feature of the invention is the provision of a sealing means to prevent the escape of combustion gases from the furnace through the hopper. The hopper has a lid on it that normally seals this escape of combustion gases. However, the lid must be opened when wood is to be fed into the hopper. On the other hand, the clearing piston serves the dual function of clearing wood from the housing into the furnace while sealing the escape of gases to the hopper when the hopper door is open.

The general object of this invention is to provide a charcoal loading and charging assembly with means to load wood into a hopper, means to charge the wood from the housing below the hopper into a furnace, and means to clear the remaining wood from the housing into the furnace, wherein the clearing means also provides a seal against the escape of combustion gases while the hopper is being loaded. Other objects will appear to those skilled in the art.

In the drawing:

FIGURE 1 is a side elevation view of the charcoal loading and charging assembly;

FIGURE 2 is a view in longitudinal vertical section of the charcoal loading and charging assembly with the charging piston shown in extended position and the clearing piston shown in retracted position;

FIGURE 3 is a fragmentary view in section similar to that of FIGURE 2 but with both the charging and clearing pistons shown in retracted positions;

FIGURE 4 is a view in section similar to that of FIG- URES 2 and 3 but with both the charging and clearing pistons shownin extended positions, and with the hopper door open for replenishing wood used to make charcoal;

FIGURE 5 is a view in section taken along the line 5-5 of FIGURE 3; and

FIGURE 6 is a view in section taken along the line 66 of FIGURE 4.

Referring now to the drawing, the invention 10 comprises a housing 11 having an inner wall 12 which is preferably cylindrical. The shape of the outer wall of the housing 11 is not critical. A hopper 13 opens into the interior of the housing 11. The hopper 13 has an upper edge 14 defined by the upper edges of its side walls 15. The side walls 15 diverge from the upper edge 14 toward the area of communication with the interior of the housing 11. There is a cover 16 for the hopper 13, the cover 16 being connected to a side 15 of the hopper 13 by hinge means 17. There is a handle 18 on the cover 16 to facilitate opening and closing it for introducing wood into the hopper 13.

The housing 11 into which wood is deposited by way of the hopper 13 has one side 20- connected directly to a furnace or retort 21 which is shown only partially and schematically in the drawing. The opposite end 22 of the housing 11 is also open.

A clearing piston 24 is slidable within the housing 11. The clearing piston 24 has a cylindrical outer surface 25 that fits within the cylindrical inner surface 12 of the housing 11. The clearing piston 24 has a front wall 26 and a rear wall 27 with a central cylindrical passage 28 which extends from the front wall 26 to the rear wall 27. A toothed rack 29 is welded or otherwise connected to the clearing piston 24. A pinion 30 meshes with the rack 29, the pinion 30 being driven and controlled by an external power and control system which is not shown in the drawing.

A charging piston 31 is received within the passage 28 in the clearing piston 24. The charging piston 31 has a cylindrical outer surface 32 that slides within the passage 28. The charging piston 31 also has a front end 33 and a rear wall 34. A rack 35 is welded to the charging piston 31, and a pinion 36 meshes with the rack 35. The pinion 36 is driven and controlled by an external system not shown on the drawing.

Operation With the furnace 21 fired up the clearing piston is reciprocated to the position illustrated in FIGURE 4, and the door 16 is opened on its hinges 17 to permit the introduction of wood into the hopper. Location of the clearing piston 24 as shown in FIGURE 4 seals against the flow of gases from the furnace 21 to the hopper 15. These gases are normally present in charcoal producing furnaces or retorts. A feature of this invention is the fact that such gases are always prevented from escaping to the open air.

Once the hopper 15 is loaded, the lid 16 is closed onto the upper edges 14 of the sides 15. Then, the lid 16 prevents the escape of gases to the atmosphere. The clearing piston is retracted to the position shown in FIG- URE 2. The charging piston 31 is then reciprocated slowly to drive wood into the furnace or retort 2 1. This reciprocation of the charging piston 31 continues until most of the wood has been charged into the furnace 21. Then, the piston is withdrawn to the position illustrated in FIGURE 3 where its leading end 33 is virtually aligned with the leading end 26 of the clearing piston 24. Then both the clearing piston 24 and the charging piston 32 are moved to the positions illustrated in FIGURE 4 to completely clear the housing 11 of wood. With the clearing piston 24 in the position shown in FIGURE 4, the lid 16 can again be opened without permitting gases to escape, and the hopper 13 can again be filled with wood for repeating the entire process.

Various changes and modifications may be made within the purview of this invention as will be readily apparent to those skilled in the art. Such changes and modifications are within the scope and teaching of this invention as defined by the claims appended thereto.

What is claimed is:

1. A solid fuel loading and charging system adapted to be connected to a retort comprising a hopper for receiving pieces of solid fuel, a housing below the hopper, the housing having a hollow chamber communicating with the hopper and having diametrically opposite open ends, and with a substantially constant cross section between the ends, one end being connected to the retort, a clearing piston having a substantially constant cross section substantially equal in size and shape to that of the housing chamber, the clearing piston being slidable within the housing chamber from the end opposite the one connected to the retort, and a charging piston of smaller cross sectional area than that of the housing chamber and the clearing piston, the charging piston being slidable within the clearing piston, the charging and clearing pistons being connected for independent reciprocation.

2. A solid fuel loading and charging device comprising a housing having a tubular inner wall defining a cylindrical chamber, a hopper connected to the housing and having an open lower end for feeding fuel by gravity into the housing, one end of the chamber being connected to a retort, the other end of the chamber being'open, a cylindrical clearing piston slidable from the open end through the chamber between withdrawn and clearing positions, and a charging piston being slidable within the clearing piston, the clearing piston being longer than the lower end of the hopper and having a diameter only slightly less than that of the charn ber to alternately block and unblock communication between the hopper and the chamber when the clearing piston is moved between the clearing and withdrawn positions, the charging piston having a diameter substantially less than that of thechamber.

3. A solid fuel loading and charging assembly comprising a housing, a retort connected to the housing, an opening to the housing enabling the feeding of fuel into the housing, a lid for covering the opening, other means to feed fuel from the housing to the retort, and means separate from the feeding means to clear the remaining fuel from the housing into the retort, the clearing me-ans also providing a seal against the escape of combustion gases from the housing when the lid is moved from the opening while the housing is being replenished with fuel.

References Cited by the Examiner UNITED STATES PATENTS 6/ 1935 Maynard.

9/ 1951 Pfau 

1. A SOLID FUEL LOADING AND CHARGING SYSTEM ADAPTED TO BE CONNECTED TO A RETORT COMPRISING A HOPPER FOR RECEIVING PIECES OF SOLID FUEL, A HOUSING BELOW THE HOPPER, THE HOUSING HAVING A HOLLOW CHAMBER COMMUNICATING WITH THE HOPPER AND HAVING DIAMETRICALLY OPPOSITE OPEN ENDS, AND WITH A SUBSTANTIALLY CONSTANT CROSS SECTION BETWEEN THE ENDS, ONE END BEING CONNECTED TO THE RETORT, A CLEARING PISTON HAVING A SUBSTANTIALLY CONSTANT CROSS SECTION SUBSTANTIALLY EQUAL IN SIZE AND SHAPE TO THAT OF THE HOUSING CHAMBER, THE CLEARING PISTON BEING SLIDABLE WITHIN THE HOUSING CHAMBER FROM THE END OPPOSITE THE ONE CONNECTED TO THE RETORT, AND A CHARGING PISTON OF SMALLER CROSS SECTIONAL AREA THAN THAT OF THE HOUSING CHAMBER AND THE CLEARING PISTON, THE CHARGING PISTON BEING SLIDABLE WITHIN THE CLEARING PISTON, THE CHARGING AND CLEARING PISTONS BEING CONNECTED FOR INDEPENDENT RECIPROCATION. 